Jalees Ansari, a 68-year-old convict in the 1993 Mumbai serial blasts case, went missing from his home in Mumbai on Thursday morning, police officials have said.
According to reports, he earned the sobriquet of ‘Dr Bomb’ due to his alleged expertise in bomb-making. A doctor by profession, Ansari is serving a life term and was out on parole for 21 days. During the period, he was directed to visit the Agripada Police Station to mark his attendance every day.
However, he mysteriously disappeared on Thursday morning following which his family members lodged a 'missing' complaint at the Agripada Police Station. In the complaint, one of Ansari's four sons told the police that he left their Mominpura at Mumbai Central on Thursday morning at had not come back.
"He was lodged in Ajmer jail but later shifted to Mumbai's Arthur Road jail from where he got parole for 21 days. The Mumbai police have called us asking if he has surrendered in front of Ajmer police as he was supposed to be present in the Ajmer Court today. But we informed Mumbai police that he didn't come to Ajmer and we will inform if he does," Ajmer SP Kunwar Rashtradeep told media persons. He further added that no investigation has been initiated by the Rajasthan police as of now because the matter is related to Mumbai police.
The Maharashtra Anti-Terrorism Squad (ATS), the crime branch and Mumbai police have launched a search for him.
Ansari had been accused of carrying out several bomb blasts across the country in the early nineties. He allegedly helped set off a series of 43 explosions in Mumbai and Hyderabad and seven separate explosions on trains on December 6, 1993, the first anniversary of the Babri Masjid’s demolition.
He is also associated with terrorist organisations such as SIMI and Indian Mujahideen. It is also said that Ansari used to teach militants how to make bombs.
